GRUB issue with dual boot in Suse11.2

[branisd]

Hi,
I installerd Suse 11.2 on disk /dev/sb2, and have three disks:
/dev/sdc, /dev/sda, /dev/sdb.

Windows XP is on /dev/sdb1.
I have suse 10.3 on /dev/sda2, and Windows 2000 on /dev/sda1
When I get menu and try booting openSUSE 10.3 - Windows comes instead.
When I try booting Windows - I get error: NTLDR is missing

Here is the menu.lst from SUSE 11.2, thanks for reading.
___________________________________
# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Fri Dec 4 20:30:57 EST 2009
# THIS FILE WILL BE PARTIALLY OVERWRITTEN by perl-Bootloader
# Configure custom boot parameters for updated kernels in /etc/sysconfig/bootloader

default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd2,1)/boot/message

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 11.2 - 2.6.31.5-0.1
root (hd2,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31.5-0.1-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD502HI_S1VZJ90S225155-part2 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD502HI_S1VZJ90S225155-part6 splash=silent quiet showopts vga=0x31a
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.31.5-0.1-default

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 11.2 - 2.6.31.5-0.1
root (hd2,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31.5-0.1-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD502HI_S1VZJ90S225155-part2 showopts apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 x11failsafe vga=0x31a
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.31.5-0.1-default

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: openSUSE 10.3 - 2.6.22.19-0.2 (default) (/dev/sda2)###
title openSUSE 10.3 - 2.6.22.19-0.2 (default) (/dev/sda2)
root (hd1,1)
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 1###
title windows 1
map (hd1) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 2###
title windows 2
map (hd2) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd2)
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 3###
title windows 3
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: floppy###
title Floppy
rootnoverify (fd0)
chainloader +1

[Carsto]

I'm busy swotting up on GRUB for Fedora 11, so there may be errors in what I'm saying here. What I have seen is this. You have to be specific in naming the boot records of the hard drives as in hd2,1 for instance. The bootloader must point to the right partition. This may be the reason why something unexpected gets booted up.

Also I've seen (can't find it again right now) that you have to comment out the Windows map commands when you use a Linux bootloader. Apparently they throw some spanner in the works like scrambling stuff. This may be the reason Windows can't find itself.

Search the thread BIOS|GRUB differences, similarities on LinuxQuestions.org. Erik FL gave me some excellent stuff to work with.

[44139]

sda==(hd0,0)?

(hd0,0)==1st hard disk, 1st partition etc.

lookup "Super Grub" Tool(?)
gives very good instruction and almost perfect semi-automatic install of grub for multiple boots. Avail only 2-3 sites AFAIR.

[Carsto]

Thanks 44139. Spot on. Everything is exactly defined. And watch out! Install Windows first, that bootloader overwrites everything. Only Linux loaders will give you the option of other boots. That is why the Windows mapping has to go.

[branisd]

HI 44139,
I burned iso image to CD, it boots Caldera DOS,
comes wirth DR-DOS prompt but no menu?
Scren shots that I saw show menu - what is the command then?
Thanks for replies.

[Lostfarmer]

You made the cd wrong. In you burning software menu select "make ISO cd" not "make bootable cd". Super Grub does not use DR-DOS.

[yancek]

windows 200 on sda1, xp on sdb1 and you have three entries for windows in menu.lst file. What's the third windows OS?

You say you have Opensuse 11.2 on sdb2 yet your menu.lst entry for11.2 shows "root (hd2,1) which would be sdc2. Can you boot 11.2?

You say you have Opensuse 10.3 on sda2 yet your menu.lst entry for 10.3 shows "root (hd1,1) which would be sdb2.

When you installed 11.2, you did install its Grub to the master boot record? You might try changing the 10.3 entry in your posted 11.2 menu.lst to root (hd0,1). With the configfile entry you have for 10.3 you should get another Grub menu.lst to select.

Before installing 11.2, were you booting from Grub on 10.3?
You might take a look at the output of fdisk -l command run as root on your 11.2, maybe post it here. OS 11.2 still uses Grub legacy so the drive and partition counts both start at zero..

Did these windows entries you posted ever work? Did you have similar entries in 10.3 menu.

[branisd]

Hi yancek,
I have three disks in this order ( order was given by install ) /dev/hdc/, /dev/hda, /dev/hdb
so from my little knowledge of GRUB, numbering in menu.lst is all right, ie. /dev/hdc is (hd0) etc.
Before I installed 11.2 a week ago I had /dev/hdc and /dev/sda. On /dev/hdc1 Windows2000
and on /dev/sda1 is Windows2000 as well, Suse10.3 on /dev/sda2 it had GRUB in MBR on /dev/sdc. It booted well into Suse 10.3 and Windows2000. My BIOS can't boot from SATA drive - thats why I have pata /dev/hdc
Then I added a week ago a new SATA disk /dev/sdb with Windows XP on /dev/sdb1 and I insalled afterwards Suse 11.2 on /dev/sdb2. I did reinstall Suse11.2 on /dev/sdb2 today but it has same issue as before. I can boot in Suse 11.2 in failsafe. Interesting thing is that if I want to restart system from Suse11.2 and I choose from restart menu that I want to restart in Suse 10.3 for a brief moment it shows me old menu from 10.3 GRUB in text mode then it immidately skips to Windows menu!?
Here is the output from fdisk -l on Suse 11.2, I hope all gives a better picture.
Thanks for help.

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x808f72ac

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 17101 137363751 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 17102 22323 41945715 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 22324 39424 137363782+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 39425 60801 171710752+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5 39425 40338 7341673+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 40339 44254 31455238+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda7 44255 60801 132913746 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xcd2e0164

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 17754 142608973+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb2 17755 35508 142609005 83 Linux
/dev/sdb4 53263 60801 60557017+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sdb5 53263 57439 33551721 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sdb6 57440 58483 8385898+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb7 58484 59527 8385898+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdc: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x1b601b5f

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 1 15534 124776823+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdc2 15535 19457 31511497+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)

[branisd]

YANCEK,
I just posted information that you asked.
Thanks for your iterest and to others as well

[yancek]

I have three disks in this order ( order was given by install ) /dev/hdc/, /dev/hda, /dev/hdb

You need to check this in device.map file: /boot/grub/device.map to see if that is correct. You should see something like this:

(hd0) /dev/sda
(hd1) /dev/sdb

I think this may be your problem, part of it anyway. Your 11.2 menu.lst shows OpenSuse 11.2 root as (hd2,1) and you say you can boot 11.2 from its Grub yet your fdisk shows (hd2,1) sdc2 as a FAT32 (windows) partition? Your Linux partition on sdb is sdb2 which in Grub is (hd1,1). You have three Linux partitions on sda, sda2, sda3 and sda7?

I think you might help things checking the device.map file to see if (hd0) is actually sda etc...

If you can actually boot OpenSuse 11.2 with the entry you posted earlier

title openSUSE 11.2 - 2.6.31.5-0.1
root (hd2,1)

then your device.map probably has (hd2) /dev/sdb.


The reason you see the OpenSuse 10.3 boot menu when you select it is because of this entry in OpenSuse 11.2 which, as you can see, points to its menu.lst file not the kernel.

configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst

The reason it only displays for a few seconds is because your timeout entry in Opensuse 10.3 menu.lst is set low.